


Past and Present

by 852_Prospect_Archivist



Category: The Sentinel
Genre: M/M, Other: See Story Notes, Series: Past and Present
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-05-10
Updated: 2013-05-10
Packaged: 2017-12-11 01:06:28
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,834
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/792265
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/852_Prospect_Archivist/pseuds/852_Prospect_Archivist
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jim thinks about the past and an important lesson he learns while enjoying a quiet moment with Blair.<br/>This story is a sequel to Twenty Questions.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Past and Present

**Author's Note:**

> I posted this to a private list the end of last year and now I've re-edited it for the public. Thanks to Zerena for the edits both time around and Bast for all her support and encouragement. 
> 
> WARNINGS: While this doesn't contain to sex between minors it may refer back to it.

## Past and Present

by Tiger Moon

Author's disclaimer: Don't own them, wish I did.

* * *

Past and Present  
Tiger Moon  
Copyright 12/99 

Jim ran his hand down Blair's thigh, feeling the crisp hair under his hands. He still wasn't sure how they ended up in bed together or how they came to be making love. Not that he regretted it, he'd always found Blair attractive. He noticed early on how attractive his roommate was but it wasn't the kind of attraction that had him pining away for Blair for the past three years. Not that he didn't have the occasional fantasies about bending him over the sofa or something like that, especially when Sandburg came home smelling of sex and still leaking pheromones. 

Ross would get the irony of this. He'd told Jim all along that he and Blair would be good together. Jim had just laughed him off, not really paying attention to his friend's matchmaking. He even understood that Ross just wanted him to find someone and be as happy as he and Matt were. 

Blair had asked him tonight about Ross, although not directly but asking about his first time was akin to asking about Ross. The one he had with Ross was the longest running relationship he'd ever had in his life, his family not withstanding. A relationship that started with their friendship's beginning at the age of six and continued to their ripe old age of nearly forty. They saw each other through playing doctor in the hayloft of Ross's barn when they were six and seven, to comparing growing and changing bodies in their pre-teens, to their first real sexual encounters. Jim shook his head, nuzzling his face in Blair's curls as he remembered. 

Ross. 

He and Ross had learned most of the basics of sex together. They masturbated, they humped, and finally they penetrated each other. Mastering their techniques on each other before trying them out on their girlfriend of the week. 

They gave up the pretense of practicing with each other their junior year of high school when they admitted in the same hayloft that saw their first game of doctor that they were at the very least bi since they still liked girls. Ross altered his definition in college and gave up on the women, deciding that he could be just as happy not being involved with the fairer sex. Ross faked his way through five years in the Army after college and got out when his time was up. Ross became a fireman and met Matt right after he'd been declared dead in Peru. 

Blair shifted in his sleep, rolling towards him and he compensated for his partner's shifting and rolled on to his back, and wrapping an arm around Blair's back as he settled with his head on Jim's shoulder. This was definitely something he could get very used to. Jim basked in Blair's closeness as he thought back to the first time he'd seen Ross after his return from Peru... 

* * *

...Jim looked at the address in his hand, he hoped it was still a valid address. The debriefings were done and he'd resigned his commission and now was on terminal leave. He was still feeling the effects of having to readjust to not just civilian life but civilized life as well. Living in the jungle had done things to him he didn't want to think about. 

Jim rang the doorbell and waited, nervously. 

"Can I help you?" A tall blond man asked as he opened the door. 

"I, uh, I'm looking for Ross Martin. I know he lived here a couple of years ago." Jim stammered. 

The blond man smiled, "Yeah, Ross still lives here, come on in." He stepped aside and allowed Jim to enter. Closing the door behind his visitor he yelled, "Ross, you got company." 

"Matt, who?" Jim heard the familiar voice call from the other room. 

Matt smiled shyly, "You'll see..." he told his lover. He couldn't help but recognize the man in front of him as his lover's oldest friend. He'd heard so much about him that he felt as if he'd been there through all the adventures with them. 

Jim watched as Ross came around the corner and stopped dead in his tracks. "Jimmy! Oh my God!" Ross no sooner got the words out of his mouth than he was down the hall and grabbing Jim in a bone-crunching embrace. 

"Hiya, Handsome," Jim said when Ross loosened, but not released, his hold on Jim. 

Ross took a good long hard look at him, "You son of a bitch!" He said, smacking Jim on the chest with the back of his hand. "I thought you were dead." His voice was thick with emotion. 

Matt stepped in, "Why don't we move this someplace more comfortable," He suggested. "I'm sure you can relax and catch up better in the den than you can standing in the hall. How about if I make breakfast?" 

"Oh man, I need to introduce you." Ross turned slightly, releasing Jim to reach out and take Matt's hand, "Matt this is Jim. Jimmy, this is Matt. My lover." 

The two men shook hands and exchanged the pleasantries that went along with an introduction. 

"Shall we?" Matt nodded toward the back of the house. 

Ross nodded and followed Matt down the hall to the large family kitchen, never letting go of Jim. 

Matt watched across the counter in the open kitchen as they settled on the sofa in front of the fireplace. He'd heard all the stories about Jim. Hell, Ross couldn't talk about his childhood without Jim being mentioned somewhere in the story. And now he was faced with probably the only person who could take Ross away from him. It wasn't a feeling he was comfortable with. He and Ross had been through so much together during the early days of their friendship when Ross had had to deal with Jim's death, to his own trust issues after his previous boyfriend's betrayal. 

He started to make breakfast and listened to the snatches of conversation he could catch above the noise he was making. 

* * *

Ross sat facing Jim, holding his oldest friend's hands. "I sat there numb when I heard about the crash. I couldn't believe you were dead, I knew the line they gave me about you dying in a training accident was bogus. That you'd been sent out on a mission and it had gone wrong..." 

"There were times I wished I was dead. I was alone, injured, and my men were dying around me. There was a tribe that took me in and took care of me. It was all so crystal clear in the jungle and hard as hell, now things are fading, losing the crispness everything had while I was there." Jim pulled one of his hands from Ross's grasp and rubbed it over his face. "Oh hell, I don't want to talk about this, I'm just glad it's over." 

Ross ran the back of his hand along Jim's cheek, then let the knuckle of his index finger graze Jim's lips. "What are you going to do now?" 

He leaned into Ross's caress. His friend always knew how to touch him and all he wanted right now was to feel some kind of closeness to someone who truly knew him. Ross was the only person who fit that bill. "Going back to Cascade and going to the Police Academy. They have a fast track for people like me. I had to come find you first. To see you. To let you know that I'm alive." 

Ross pulled Jim close and held him. He understood both what Jim said and what he didn't say. He knew he was the only person who would truly give a damn whether Jim lived or died. Tears streamed down his face as he held his friend. He cried for the trauma Jim had to live through, and from relief that he survived and was here right now in his arms. 

When they finally pulled away from each other both men scrubbed at their faces to remove traces of tears. They were saved from having to say anything else to one another by Matt. 

"Breakfast is ready," he announced. "Babe," Matt called to Ross, "I have to run. Remember I have a meeting in Anaheim tonight that might be late." 

Ross got up and went to say good bye to his lover, "Okay, call me later today," He said before hugging and kissing Matt. 

"Will do." Matt turned in Ross's embrace, "Jim it was good to meet you, I hope you're still here when I get home." 

"Thanks Matt." Jim answered. 

"Walk me to the door," Matt asked Ross. 

Matt turned when they reached the front door. He pulled Ross close to him and held him, "Take care of Jim today. He looks like he could use a good dose of Ross Martin TLC." 

Ross looked at him quizzically, "Matt, are you saying what I think you are saying?" 

"It depends on what you think I'm saying. If you are asking me, if I'm telling you to take Jim to bed and love him, than yes, I am." 

"Matt? Why?" Ross was stunned. It was the last thing that he'd ever expected to hear coming from Matt. 

"Because he needs you. He needs the history the two of you have. And I need you to say goodbye to the relationship you had with him. Make slow gentle love to him. Fuck him into the mattress. I don't care, but say goodbye to Jim Ellison, your old lover. I don't ever want him in this house again..." 

He never got to finish his sentence before Ross interrupted, "Wait a damn minute. I will not be made to choose between you and Jim." 

Matt softened slightly, "Ross, I love you, I'm not going to make you choose. And Jim will be welcome here, but only as a friend after this visit." It would be hard as hell to walk out the door knowing that the one man he'd learned to trust and love with all his heart would make love to another man and he knew Jim and Ross would make love, one look at the two of them together told him that much. It was something he had to do though, he had to trust that Ross would still be there, still be his, when Jim left again and this was the only way that he knew of to do that. 

They kissed for a moment then Ross answered, "Thank you, love. You both mean too much to me that I'd never want to be without either of you especially since I just got Jim back." 

"I know, that's why I'm giving you this time with him." 

"I love you." Ross answered and they hugged one last time before Matt walked out the door. 

* * *

Ross walked back into the living room after sending Matt off to work and found Jim sitting in front of the fireplace which now contained a blazing fire. He walked up and sat down behind Jim, wrapping his arms around his best friend. 

"Matt get off?" Jim asked, settling into Ross's embrace. 

"Yeah," Ross whispered in his ear. "He gave me a present before he left." 

Jim turned slightly, "He did?" He was confused. 

"He gave me you and this time together." 

Now he was really confused. "Ross, explain." Jim requested. 

"I'll do better than that I'll show you, you're a smart boy, you'll figure it out." Ross gently laid his lips on Jim's and kissed him, slowly at first, then more demanding. 

They were both breathless when they broke the kiss. 

"I think I see what you mean," Jim said caressing Ross's face, "But are you sure? I can see how much you love this guy and I don't want you to ruin that. I remember how much you wanted to meet the right person when you first moved here." 

"I'm positive Jim. And it won't hurt us either. We will always be friends, I wouldn't want a life without you in it somehow." 

Appeased by his friend's words and trusting that Ross knew what he was doing, he held Ross to him and plundered his mouth. "Make love to me Ross, long and slow." 

"Your wish in my command," Ross replied his voice already getting husky as he started to unbutton Jim's shirt... 

* * *

...Jim caressed Blair's back lightly, barely touching the soft skin. He didn't need to touch it to feel the heat that radiated off his partner. He couldn't help but wonder why Blair was always cold if he felt this warm. 

He didn't notice when Blair shifted from sleep to wakefulness. He was lost in his thoughts about Blair, and this new relationship they seemed to be embarking on. He didn't know how or why but he knew this was what he'd always been looking for since he'd been shown the power of Ross and Matt's love. He was there that first night when Matt came from his meetings. He saw the first hand how much they loved each other. He was ready to leave, giving Ross and Matt back their privacy until Matt convinced him to stay the rest of the weekend. So he'd spent the weekend being loved by Ross and then both of them when Matt invited him into their bed. Maybe for the first time, he was shown what love between people who not only loved each other, but were also in love, looked and felt like. 

"Whatcha thinking about?" came a quiet, slightly slurred voice. 

"Nothing important," Jim replied, "just some old times and a lesson I learned." 

"Must be important if you're still awake, tell me." Blair began to rub his hand across Jim's chest. 

Jim soothed the hair back from Blair's face, "Just something I learned from Matt and Ross a long time ago. And thinking about how Ross will take the news of us." 

"Call him and find out?" Blair said with just a hint of mischief in his voice. 

Jim was bitten by the same mischief bug and reached over to grab the portable phone that sat on his bedside table. Punching in a number he waited for an answer. 

<"What? came a sleepy voice.>

"Matt, it's Jim..." 

<"Hold on, let me wake him. And Ellison this had better be damn important to be calling at..." Jim could hear the rustling of sheets, "Four a.m.? Jim you're a dead man.">

Jim could hear Matt say, <Ross wake up, it's Jim and he wants to talk to you.>

<"What the fuck are you calling me at this hour for?">

Jim chuckled, "I was up so I thought you should be too." 

<"Ellison, we are too damn old for this game. What's going on?">

Jim smiled but gave in, "I just wanted to call and tell you that you were right." 

<"What am I right about now?">

"Blair and me." 

<"It's about damn time. Now invite us over to breakfast so we can celebrate at a more civilized hour and I suggest that if you want someone to keep you company while you have insomnia then wake up Blair and have him nail you to the mattress.">

Blair took the phone from Jim's hands and hung it up then crawled on top of Jim, his knees on either side of Jim's torso and their cocks lined up. 

"So what did Ross say?" Blair questioned before leaning down to nibble on Jim's lips before kissing his Sentinel, his hair shrouding them. 

"Mmm," Jim murmured when they finally broke the long kiss. "He told me to have you nail me to the mattress." 

Blair grinned, "That has definite possibilities." He leaned back down and began to thoroughly kiss Jim once again, his hands roaming up along Jim's shoulders and biceps. 

Not one to be passive, Jim explored the planes of Blair's back. Running his hands lightly across the span of his guide's shoulders then feeling each vertebra as he skimmed his hands downward. The way Blair was curled on top of him, Jim was able to reach almost every part of his partner. He took great delight in the gasp Blair made as he ran his hands down to Blair's backside and cupped each cheek, dipping his fingers into the dark crack that was opened to his explorations by the way Blair was sitting on him. The hair on Blair's legs tickled the palms of Jim's hands as he ran them along his partner's muscular thigh. 

Blair paused in his exploration of Jim's shoulder when the detective began to move his hands up Blair's side. "Uh Jim, who is supposed to be nailing whom to the mattress?" he asked as he sat up, Jim's cock nestled against the cheeks of his backside. 

"You. Nailing me," Jim stammered as Blair began to twist his nipples ever so slightly. 

He'd never expected Jim desire to bottom in fact when Jim had told him what Ross had said he'd thought it was a joke and that Jim would turn the tables on him at any moment - not that he'd mind, in fact he looked forward to it - but he also wasn't about to look a gift horse in the mouth. This new piece of information into who Jim was behind the barriers gave Blair an insight to the sentinel that explained a lot about the trust issued he'd always known Jim had. 

Blair moved further down Jim's body latching onto one nipple, sucking it into his mouth then releasing it only to nip at it and lave it gently soothing the nip. He continued his nips and licks across Jim's chest until the older man was too distracted to continue to try to arouse him. He continued to pay the same attention to the rest of Jim's body, leaving a trail of marks behind. 

Jim alternately clutched at the sheets and held onto Blair's shoulder as his guide searched out every possible tender spot on his body. He gave up being able to think, let alone put a sentence together, at the first touch of Blair's hot mouth on his skin. 

They had tempered the driving need for each other earlier in the evening when they made love for the first time, rubbing together in frenzied passion. Now it was time for the slow explorations of each other they hadn't made time for earlier. 

Blair continued nibbling down Jim's body until he reached his groin. Without giving Jim much of a chance to wonder what he was going to do next, he sucked his Sentinel's erection into his mouth. 

Jim gasped loudly as he was suddenly engulfed by Blair's warm, wet mouth, "Blair..." He gasped as Blair started to move on his shaft, flicking his tongue over the swollen head and the sensitive underside. "More!" he demanded. 

Taking Jim's demands to heart, he began to caress his Sentinel's testicles feeling how high they had risen against his body. Blair brought Jim to the edge over and over again before deciding it was time to put his lover and himself out of misery. 

"Lube?" Blair finally asked. 

"Drawer," was all Jim could stutter out. 

Blair rolled away from Jim and fumbled around in Jim's bedside table. Finally finding the tube of lube, he used his free hand and flipped open the cap, haphazardly dribbling some of the clear think fluid on his fingers. He ran his slick fingers down the sensitive perineum to the puckered opening. Jim bucked against him as he slipped in one slick finger. He continued to lick and suck at Jim's cock while he stretched his lover going from one, to two, to three fingers, listening to make sure Jim's moans were of pleasure, not pain. 

"Blair...now... please...need...inside..." Jim pleaded, each movement either pushing him further into Blair's mouth or impaling himself on Blair's thrusting fingers. 

Blair removed his fingers and kissed his way up Jim's body, lifting his Sentinel's legs onto his shoulders, as he positioned himself. Slowly he slid into Jim's tight channel, letting him adjust to the intrusion. 

"So...good." Jim stammered when Blair entered him for the first time. "Slow...go... slow... long time..." 

Blair took Jim's pleading to heart and moved in and out of Jim with long slow strokes. Making sure he rubbed across his lover's prostate every few strokes or so. When Blair felt himself unable to last much longer, he quickened the pace. Stroking into and out of Jim with increasingly harder thrusts. 

Jim met him thrust for thrust. He felt Blair's cock swell and lengthen then reached up and gave the silver ring threaded through Blair's nipple a quick tug. 

At the feel of the sharp tug on his nipple Blair came, spilling his seed deep inside his lover. He collapsed on top of Jim, holding his Sentinel close and feeling the warm wetness on Jim's stomach, signalling Jim's completion. 

They held each other for a long time afterward not saying anything but letting their light touches say what words couldn't. 

Jim tugged on one of Blair's curls until the younger man looked at him, "I love you," he told his guide, punctuating each word with a kiss. 

"Oh Jim..." Blair whispered, never expecting to hear those words from Jim. "I love you too." 

They once again fell silent, content to just hold one another. 

Jim'd only ever said those three words to a few people. Carolyn because he had truly loved her when they'd married. Ross, just because he did \- always had and always would and now Blair. He knew if you'd have asked him yesterday morning how he felt about Blair he might had told you he loved his guide as a friend, but after making love to him he knew it was so much more than friendship. He wondered if it had always been there, under the surface, waiting for him to catch on. Ross would have told him, yes, but then Ross and Matt and been subtly trying to get him and Blair together for years now. 

"Should clean up," he said after a while, feeling the crustiness on his stomach. 

"Wait. Not yet." Blair instructed, not wanting to let go of this moment. 

Jim nodded, feeling Blair's hair brush against his cheek and willed his arm to move so he could brush back the errant curls. 

"Hey, big guy." He prodded his lover awake. 

"Mmm..." Jim murmured, snuggling Blair deeper into his embrace. 

"What time are Matt and Ross coming over?" 

"Damn! I forgot about them." Jim exclaimed. "Late morning, I think. I don't remember if they said." 

Jim started to doze again, enjoying the feeling of Blair lying on top of him and still inside him too much to want to think about getting up. He knew he was going to feel it later, it had been at least four years since he'd been with another man, maybe longer. 

His laziness was brought to an end when he heard a knock at the door. He'd been so focused on Blair he'd missed the approach of another person or persons. 

He lay there and listened to the conversation going on outside his door. 

"He's going to kill us, Ross." 

"No, he's not. If Blair's done his job, Jim won't mind much of anything except walking right now." 

"You think Blair will be able to take Jim? I mean look at the dynamics of their relationship..." 

Ross chuckled, "Oh yeah, I more than think Blair's got what it takes to handle Jim. I personally think he'd take pleasure in handling our boy." 

"So... Long and slow or hand and fast?" Matt asked. 

"Long and slow, definitely." 

"Fifty bucks and you cook dinner for all four of us say they couldn't make it to long and slow." 

"Deal." 

Jim chuckled and nudged Blair, "Chief, wake up and go let Matt and Ross in." He figured that if he sent Blair to get the door then he could turn his senses down and be able to come down the steps like nothing was wrong, just to get back at his oldest friend, besides Ross'ss dinners were something special. 

Blair grumbled, "Thought you said late morning." He pushed himself upward and gently slid out of Jim before rolling off and reaching for a discarded shirt to wipe himself off. 

"I was wrong." 

"Shit." Blair muttered as he climbed out of bed and grabbed Jim's robe off the chair before heading down the steps. 

Crossing the room, Blair didn't even bother to look through the peephole, if Jim said it was Ross and Matt then he didn't need to. Unlocking the deadbolt Blair pulled the door open calling "come in" as he walked to the kitchen. 

"Well aren't you Mary Sunshine this morning." Ross teased, taking in Blair's seriously dishevelled appearance as the younger man turned the corner in to the kitchen. 

"Fuck you, Ross." Blair replied pulling the coffee and filters out of the cupboard. 

"Careful, Handsome, he's not a morning person." Jim advised as he started down the steps. "So what are you doing here so early?" 

Matt chuckled, "Well someone called at an ungodly early hour this morning and woke us up, so we decided to make good use of the rest of the morning." 

"Ahhh..." Jim acknowledged, knowing exactly what his two friends had been up to all morning. 

Ross greeted his old friend at the foot of the stairs and the two men hugged. "I'm happy for you, Tiger. You deserve this." He whispered into Jim ear. 

"Thanks." 

Ross stepped back and took a good look at Jim and started to laugh, "You turned it down, didn't you? You shit." 

Blair caught the exchange and looked up at Jim and Ross. He hadn't known Ross knew about Jim's senses. 

Ross turned to Matt, his arm still around Jim. "You owe me fifty, lover. I can tell just by looking at him it was long and slow, I'd know that look anywhere." 

Matt leaned against the counter and took a good look at Jim. He couldn't deny what Ross had said, he'd seen that look on Jim face several times over the years. He started to pull his wallet out as Blair gasped in shock, "You bet on us?" 

"All the time." Ross answered, leaving his arm around Jim and they walked toward where Matt and Blair stood. 

"Why?" Blair asked bracing himself against the counter. 

"Why not?" Ross answered. 

"Because Ross has been trying to play matchmaker with you and Jim for years now and it's become part of a game between him and me as to whether or when something has happened or will happen." Matt explained. 

Jim started toward Blair, hoping to soothe the anger he saw building in Blair, but Matt stopped him. "Let me," he said to Jim before focusing on Blair. "Now that you know about Jim, you will find out all about the history he and Ross have. And having stood where you are, I know it can be pretty intimidating - trust me on this. But Blair, no matter how many bets Ross and I may have made about you and Jim, both of us have known that you were the perfect man for him from the beginning." 

"Just like Matt is the perfect man for me." Ross interrupted, smiling at his lover. 

Matt smiled back at Ross and held his hand out to the darker man to join him, before continuing, "And no matter how much Ross and I love Jim and would be happy making him part of our lives. Jim deserves more than that. He deserves to be loved like we think you can love him. Like Ross and I love each other." 

Blair was stunned silent by Matt's words. He'd only ever met the other man a few times when the couple had a party that he'd been invited to attend with Jim. And while they had always been friendly with each other, but Blair had felt more left out of their dynamic than he ever had at the Police station with Jim's co-workers and friends. Now he understood why. "Wow...Umm...Okay..." was about the extent of what he could say right now. He had a lot to absorb and process. 

Jim left Ross'ss side and headed to Blair stopping only briefly to touch Matt's cheek as he passed. He pulled Blair into his arms and hugged him tightly. "Okay?" 

"Okay." Blair replied before kissing Jim deeply. 

When they broke their kiss from needing to breathe Blair looked over and saw Matt and Ross holding each other smiling at them. "Okay..." he said again for their benefit. He had a lot of questions he wanted to ask but they could wait. 

"So who's hungry?" Jim asked. 

"We are, "Matt and Ross replied together. 

And with that the four men worked together to make breakfast. 

_end_


End file.
